Protective covering



Filed Aug.

Patented Oct. 27, 1.925.

UNITE-o STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAM ROE, VOAF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB, T0 HOLMES ELECTRIC PROTECTIVE COMPANY, ,0F NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OFNEW YORK.

PROTECTIVE COVEBING.

Application Bled August 30,1921. Serial No. 497,001.

To all whom it 'may concern.'

Beit known that I,WILLTAM C. Ron, a

. citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New (York, State of New York, 'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Protective Coverings, of which the following is a full, clear, Iconcise, and exact description.

This invention 'relates to improvements l0 in electrical alarm systems and particularly to protective devices used in connection therewith which devices serve as detectors causing Van operation of thealarm system when the devices are destroyed by lire, wa- !6 ter, burglars'or any other cause.

More specifically, the protective device comprises a protective covering formed of fragile materia-land provided with electrical conductors of such a type and so secured thereto that a destruction of the 'covering results in either a destruction of the conductors or the creation of a short circuit between them. The protective covering is so lconstructed that it is particularly adapted for application nto the walls of a room or other' enclosure in much the same manner as ordinary wall paper, and is so designed that when applied, the electrical conductors are invisible and the covering presents a neat,

and pleasing appearance.

Other objects and advantages of.v the present improvementwill be set forth in detail in the following specification and particulaily pointed out in the appended claim. In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of the protective covering, a part thereof being bent back to show the electrical conductors. Fig. 2 is-an enlarged sectional view of the protective covering 'shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view `Iof a portion of a rpom and showing protective covering made in accordancewith .45 the invention applied to the walls and ceiling thereof.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary'detail illustrating one manner o f applying the covering.

Referring now to the-drawings in which like reference numerals designate similar parts'throughout the several-views, the protective covering comprises strips of paper 5 and 6` which, for convenience in handling, 4have a width of approximately 36 inches and a length of 100 feet or more. The strips of paper lare secured together by means .of asphaltum 7 or other suitable material whichalso serves to vsecure between them electrical conductors 8 whichare formed of metal foil. The conductors Sare first dipped in asphalt-um and then arranged between the strips of paper '5 and 6 in spaced relation to each other extending lengthwise of room or other enclosure with paste in much the same manne-r. as wall paper is applied, or by any other suitable means, the completed covering is made as thin as possible. The paper strips have a vthickness of approximately six thousandths of an inch (.006), the foil one thousandth of an inch (.00l)A and the asphaltum about eight thousandths of an inch (.008) making the entire thickness of the covering in the vicinity oftwo hundredths of an inch (.02).

By makingwthe covering of small thickness, it is rendered fragile to a considerable degree so that it is Qtreadilydestroycd by fire, the presence of water in any considerable quantity, or may bev easily torn by burglars or other unauthorized persons in an attempt to cut through the surface to' which the paper is applied or in an attempt to remove the paper from the said surface.

Furthermore, since the foil has a-.thiclmess f even less than the thickness of the paper, in tearing or cutting the paper the continuity ofthe ,foil will also be readilybroken, giving no indication of the presence of the foil until it has been' broken in cutting or otherwise destroying the paper.

` It -is preferable that the asphalt-um 7 be 4applied to the layers of paperfand strips substance for securing the strips of paver and the fon together both for its afineve qualities andv because itjisimpervlous to moisture, which is of advantage when the paper is applied to Walls or other surfaces which may be damp. Although the asphaltlun is sufficient to resist dampness and prevent it from. aiccting` the electrical conductors 8, the protective material as a whole is not sufficiently .strong toV resist considerable water so that in case the surface to which the covering is applied should become flooded, the water wouldeventually reach the conductors 8, causing a short circuit between them. Also due to the fragile con struction of the covering, it is easily destroyed by fire, causing the conductors 8A either to be `destroyed* orcome in contact with each other causing a short circuit.

The protective covering herein disclosed is especially adapted for use in alarm systems of well-known type which have been used for a number of years, in which the alarm devices of the systemv are actuated through a change in the resistance of the Wiring of the system of which the 4toil con; ductors 8 constitute a part.' ln case the conductors 8 are destroyed by fire, water., burglars or other cause, infinite resistance is introduced within the circuit, causing an operation o the signaling devices therein, er in case the cil conductors 8 are short circuited due to any cause, the resistance in the circuit is changed, also causing an actuation of the signaling devices.

The protective covering is made up in rolls which may be applied to the walls and ceiling of a room or other enclosure in much the same manner as wall paper is applied, orA may be applied in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3 in which the protective covering is shown applied to the Walls and ceiling ot a room, the strips' being applied lengthwise so that. the foil conductors 8 run up and down the wall and across the ceiling. 'l he strips of covering are secured to the Walls and ceiling by retaining strips 10, constructed of Wood, nails; or screws passingthrough the retaining strip andportions 9 of the cover ing which are overlapped as is shown in Fig. 4. Cross stripping 11 is secured between the strippinglO. The foil conductors 8 areconnected in any suitable manner to conductors 12 housed withinsthe floor board 13 and molding 14, the conductors 12 constituting part of the alarm circuit. The means for connecting the foil conductors 8 to the conductors 12 may be of any suitable type and have not been shown for the reason that the manner of' connecting the foil conductors to the other parts of the alarm system constitutes no part of the present invention. Although the means just described for securing the covering is preferred, it is to be understood that the covering may be applied in a variety of different Ways without de# parting from the spirit and scope of the invention. For instance, in some cases it may be found desirable to apply the covering to the iioor as Well as to the walls and ceilingother layer serving to cover the conductors and render them invisible.

.What is claimed is:

A multi-ply Waterproof fabric comprising superposed plies, a layer or' asphalt secur ing said plies together, and thin, dat, asphalt coated, metallic ribbons embedded in the asphalt layer, the asphalt layer having a thickness not less than the thickness of the ribbons, whereby the outer surfaces' of thedisposed entirely in one plane and' plies lare the presence of the ribbonsl concealed.

ln witnessV whereof, l hereunto subscnbe `myname this 25th day of August A. D.,

WILLIAM c. non.: 

